BBC refuses to name 150 senior managers who received payoffs

Mark Byford: the BBC gave the former deputy director general £949,000 severance pay – but it has refused to name 150 other executives who received payoffs. Photograph: Linda Nylind for the Guardian Linda Nylind/Guardian

The BBC has turned down a request from MPs for full details of 150 severance payments to departing executives, citing data protection and the corporation's independence from parliament.

During a Commons public accounts select committee hearing last week, Conservative MP Stephen Barclay asked BBC executives if they would provide the names of 150 senior managers who received payoffs in the three years to December 2012, along with who signed off their severance deals and any relevant documentation.

On Tuesday the BBC wrote to the PAC saying it was not able to provide the names of the payoff recipients, although it did agree to give details of the people who authorised them.

The BBC cited data protection and privacy issues relating to the individuals concerned and said handing over the information would raise a bigger question about the BBC's independence from parliament.

"We would need to fulfil our duty to look at the circumstances of each individual case before we could properly and lawfully disclose such information. This would be a time-consuming approach," Andrew Scadding, BBC head of corporate affairs, wrote in the letter to PAC clerk Adrian Jenner.

"We are concerned that by submitting the sort of detailed material you have requested we would be agreeing to a new form of direct parliamentary investigation by the public accounts committee."

Scadding suggested that as an alternative the National Audit Office, which looked at 60 of the severance payments for its critical report on BBC value for money earlier this month, should now examine the remaining 90.

He also told Jenner that the BBC was willing to provide a copy of former BBC director general Mark Byford's employment contract, as requested by Barclay.

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